Balance
by IEezAsian
Summary: Before Kazan takes my life, before he tips the balance of my mortality, another life must be taken. Another scale must be shifted in order to keep mine in balance. This is the life of a Beserker. Rated T for language. R&R please!
1. Taking Over

_Many say that Kazan takes the life of those unworthy of living._

_They say that once the demon touches your soul, you are forever his pawn, his servant, his slave._

_I beg to differ._

_I believe that he gives you an option._

_Power. That is what his cold grasp on your soul can give you. The exhilarating thrill of blood being spilled. The screams of your enemies ringing throughout the skies._

_It is Kazan who gives you this power. But this is not without a price._

_Kazan needs a human to be his host. His presence must stay on this earth. I am that host. My consciousness is fading, overwhelmed by his control. But before he takes my life, before he tips the balance of my mortality, another life must be taken._

_Life._

_Such a fragile word._

* * *

"Valufor? Can you hear me?"

Someone was shaking his head. His black eyes, which were almost swollen shut, opened a fraction apart. He felt the blood trickling down his nose.

"What the hell happened to you man?" a Monk said.

Valufor glared at the Grappler as he walked away with his thugs, laughing. Laughing at him. His eyes closed as tears slid out of the slits, supposedly his eyes, in defeat. The Monk muttered a healing spell and the bleeding from his nose stopped.

"Man, I leave you here for a few minutes and the next thing I know, you're getting yourself into a fight. Control your temper!"

"Jay," Valufor whispered hoarsely, "I lost."

Jay widened his eyes in mock surprise. "Yeah, no shit..."

The Monk heaved him up onto his shoulder and carried him out of the bar. He wiped away his brown long hair from his green eyes. Jay breathed a breath of disappointment and glanced at his friend. He went to go find Grandis, who could do a much faster healing than he could. Valufor was always getting himself into trouble. He hadn't advanced to anything yet either. But it wasn't his fault. People were always making fun of him. Of his arm, to be exact. He always wanted to prove himself to people. But is it really worth the beating?

A loud scream interrupted his thoughts. He glanced around, looking for the source of the scream.

Suddenly, a young teenage girl ran out from behind the bar. Following close behind her was the same Grappler that had pummeled his friend. Jay set his friend down, then slowly approached the Grappler. He first let the girl pass then stopped the Grappler in his tracks.

"Hey, what the hell is your problem?" the Grappler said as he jabbed a finger into the angry Monk's chest. He tried to sidestep the Priest, but he just stepped in his way.

"Will Driver!" Jay yelled.

He smashed the Totem into the ground. Golden light spread throughout the ground and grasped the Grappler's feet.

"What the-!"

Jay ducked and dashed forward, delivering an uppercut on his jaw. The Grappler was knocked out before he even touched the ground. He walked over and said a prayer over the limp body and walked to Valufor and heaved him back up onto his shoulder. He turned around, only to face the girl who was running away. Jay would never admit it, but he admired this blonde girl about her appearance. She was pretty tall, suggesting that she was a Gunner.

"Thank you for getting rid of that freak!" the girl said, looking at the body in disgust.

Jay shrugged. "No problem. I'm supposed to be the protector of the weak right?"

The girl pouted and said, "You consider me weak?"

The Monk widened his eyes. "No, no, no, that not what I meant-!"

The girl giggled at his nervousness. "It's alright. My name is Rian. Yours?"

"Jay." he said. "And the unconscious one is Valufor."

Rian smiled. "Jay and Valufor... well, thanks again. Maybe we can meet again..."

* * *

Valufor unwrapped the bandage from his head. He rubbed his eyes and lifted off the sheets. He stood up, buckled under the weight of his own body and fell on the bed. He grabbed his Serast Blue and propped himself up. He limped to the door and squinted under the sunlight.

_How long have I been asleep? Where is Jay?_

He put his hand in his pocket and found a note.

**Meet me at Shadow Thunderland.  
-Jay **

Valufor chuckled.

_What an overachiever... alright Jay, if that's what you want..._

* * *

"OK, explain to me why I'm here? Are you trying to kill me?"

Jay smiled. "Same old attitude. I thought you would feel better with exercise."

"Yeah, right. In a freezing wasteland. Great exercise..." Valufor muttered.

Jay ignored him and charged at a limping Hollow Eye.

"Ducking Straight Punch!" Jay yelled.

The Hollow Eye flew back and knocked down a large group of Zombies.

Valufor sighed and charged. He hacked and slashed at the undead horde, feeling joy and thrill when each attack connected.

Suddenly, his vision turned red. He felt a searing pain in his abdomen, like a knife stabbing his insides. He doubled over and hurled onto the floor.

"Valufor, watch out!"

He couldn't hear him. Everything started to move in slow motion. Blackness eventually conquered his consciousness and fell in a heaping pile.

* * *

Grandis frowned at the limp body of Valufor.

"I am sensing a very unholy presence in our midst. It seems to be radiating from your friend here." she said.

"What happened to him? He was fine one moment, then he just passed out!"

Grandis closed her eyes and touched Valufor's arm. She gasped and backed away from the Slayer. The skin where the priestess had touched him began to hiss with smoke.

"Kazan seems to be taking his conscious and slowly morphing it with his own..." she murmured.

Jay looked at her with a very confused look.

"In other words, he's taking control of his mind."

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I am so sorry for not updating my Maplestory Fanfic, but I recently got addicted to DFO.**

**Valufor is about level 17, Jay is level 30, the Grappler is about level 25.**

**For those of you who do play DFO, what do you want Valufor to be? I want him to be a Beserker, but tell me and I will consider it.**

**Please review! I might make a second chapter, but I'll see what happens...**


	2. Slayer's Rage

"_Good Lord! What happened to his arm?"_

"_How can that women adopt that abomination and live with that freak?"_

"_Must be the son of the Devil himself..."_

_The young boy looked up to his guardian's face, only to find shame and embarrassment. She rushed her son quickly through the crowd, shielding his face from the discriminating glances and glares thrown at him._

"_Momma? Why do they look at me like that?"_

_Tears rolled down the cheek of his mother. She hugged him tight. He didn't understand all of this prejudice, this discrimination. She hoped he would never know._

* * *

_The boy opened his eyes._

_Blood splattered across the walls. A limp body on the ground, still as a mouse. The wretched smell of death filled the air. The moonlight seemed to illuminate the pale skin of the corpse. The boy lifted up his arms. He gasped at the sight._

_They both were covered in blood. The blood of the only person who ever cared for him._

_He was in shock._

"_What did I do?" the boy wailed in terror._

_The villagers came to the nearly abandoned house. Once they saw the crime, their disgust in this child had deepened. It was considered the biggest crime to kill your parents, no matter if it was biological or not. The sentence was banishment, or even death._

* * *

"Jay. I need to know something." said Valufor as he took a sip of wine.

"Shoot. What do you want to know?" Jay replied.

"Why did your mother take me in? You could have left me to die. I am the Demon Child after all."

Jay stared at the table and took a deep breath.

"Our family serves God, and God doesn't discriminate. My mother found you in the alley near Grubeck's shop, almost insane. You were muttering to yourself about blood. She took pity on you and took you in."

"So if you didn't serve God, you would have left me for dead?"

Jay was silent after that.

The Slayer lightly pulled at the chains on his arms. He knew why people threw dirty looks at him. How could he have chosen if he wanted this demon or not? It wasn't his choice.

_"You're right. It wasn't your choice." _a voice rasped.

The Slayer whipped around. Who had said that?

_"What a foolish mortal." _the voice said with a chuckle.

Valufor started to panic a bit. Who the hell was talking to him?

"Jay, can you hear that?" he whispered.

"What are you talking about? No one is calling you. You're probably just dizzy."

Valufor grabbed his glass and took a large swig of wine. He shook his head and almost fell of his seat. Suddenly, his vision turned red. His breaths turned into gasps. He had to prop himself on his Zanbato just to keep from falling. He felt sick to the stomach and sauntered to the back of the bar. Unfortunately, he bumped into the very person he didn't want to meet.

"Hey boss, look! It's that kid you beat up two days ago!"

A rough, cloth covered hand held Valufor up by the neck.

"Hey, you little shit, are you back for another beating?"

A fist connected with Valufor's stomach sending him into a group of people. The table was smashed in half and the splinters of the wood were merciless, jabbing into his arms and sides. The Slayer attempted to get up, only to fall back down again, for his vision was blurring and turning red again. A foot smashed onto his chest and he felt the bones crack inside. Valufor screamed in pain and tried to pry the leg off of his body. The Grappler smirked at his attempt to live. Grabbing his shirt, the Grappler lifted him up and flung him across the room.

Valufor felt the air swish past him, bracing himself for impact. Unexpectedly, the Grappler Shoulder Tackled him just before when he was going to land.

Smashing against a wall, Valufor tried to stand up, but fell in a slouch on the floor. Sweat was pouring down his forehead.

_"Let me help you, mortal." _the voice repeated.

"How can you help me?" he said, coughing up a bit of blood.

"Ha, look at the fool! He's talking to himself now!" the Grappler sneered.

_"I can sense your anger, mortal. I can release it."_

Valufor felt a burning rage in his heart, remembering all the things that people had called him. Teased him. Taunting him. His demon arm started to glow red like lava, bright as the sun. His eyes turned red and he stood up. All pain from the fight faded away. The only thing he felt was the years of boiling rage finally exploding within his mind.

_"Kill. Kill. KILL." _the voice commanded.

Bellowing like a demon, Valufor sped toward his enemy and swung his sword, delivering a grievous wound through the light armor he was wearing. The Zanbato cut through the skin like a warm knife through butter. The Grappler shrieked in pain, holding his chest in burning pain, for the blade was covered with dark red energy. Red blood leaked out of the slash. When the demon Valufor saw the bloodleak, a grotesque smile appeared on his face.

"Gore Cross!" the possessed Valufor roared.

The demon arm whipped out, the dark energies coming together to become a large red cross, glowing like his eyes. Slashing his sword pushed the cross and it collided with the Fighter, sending him skidding across the floor. Valufor, out for blood, did the final finishing move.

"Mountainous Wheel!" he bellowed.

Jumping into the air, Valufor raised the sword above his head and brought it down.

"What are you doing? Get out of the way!" he screamed.

Jay stood in front of the crippled Grappler and took hold of the blade. Jay went down on his knee on the impact of the attack. Still holding the blade, he wrenched it out of his brother's hands and threw it across the room.

"Cure! Slow Heal!" Jay yelled.

Jay charged and touched Valufor on the forehead. Jay's holy fingers seemed to scald the skin of the Slayer. Valufor shrieked and held his head in agony. The red in his eyes suppressed and his arm diminished in color.

* * *

"I am so sorry, Siusha. I'll pay for the damages of the broken tables and the wall." Jay said apologetically.

Siusha, instead of getting angry, smiled which gradually turned into a fit of laughter.

"It's alright. My customer's haven't seen a fight in a long time. You guys sparked up the place!"

"Thank you for your mercy. God bless you." Jay said, saying a prayer.

Jay departed, wondering how Valufor could become to lustful for blood.

Then he remembered what Grandis had said.

**_"In other words, he's taking control of his mind."_**

Jay shuddered at the thought of the demon taking over. He had heard that one Slayer had leveled an entire city in a fit of rage.

"Please, God. Help this man..."


	3. Smell of Lavender

**Author's Note: Thanks everyone for reading!**

* * *

"_Secure him! Create a perimeter around the demon child!"_

_A group of guards surrounded the young boy. Writhing in pain on the ground, young Valufor clutched his arm in excruciating pain. The red seemed to be spreading up to his elbow, furthering Valufor's pain._

_"Out of the way! Get out of the way!" a rough voice called out._

_Linus pushed through the guards, holding two green locks in his hands. Once he made it in, he rushed to the boy and fastened the lock upon the demon arm. It immediately glowed bright green and the red stopped just on his shoulder. Valufor collapsed on the ground, gasping for air._

_"There we go, there we go..." Linus murmured._

_The guard officer came up to Valufor and spat at the ground next to him._

_"Disgusting demons. Always shedding blood." the officer snarled._

_The group walked away in formation, throwing glances back at the demon child._

* * *

"I did WHAT?"

Jay sighed in disappointment. Valufor seemed to have forgot everything since the fight, like he had gotten a case of amnesia.

"You've got to be kidding me! How could I have destroyed an entire bar, nearly kill a man MUCH stronger than I am, and forget all of what happened? You're lying to me." Valufor blabbered.

"Well, you did. We can go check it out right now if you don't believe me." Jay mused.

* * *

Once they set foot inside the bar, it became ominously quiet. Quiet whispers could be heard from all corners of the bar, staring at the Slayer who lost his temper. Valufor boldly walked up to a group of men and slammed his hand on the table. Everyone seemed to flinch at the loud disruption.

"So what's going on? Why is everyone so quiet?" Valufor asked.

"Because of you."

The group of men just stood up, quickly and silently, and walked outside. Valufor looked around. Everyone stood up and walked out. Valufor cast a confused look at Jay. Jay replied back with the famous I-told-you-so look.

"Jay! What a coincidence!"

Jay turned around and was just as confused as Valufor was.

The girl twirled her revolver, and said, "Remember me?"

* * *

"Rian! Oh my, I didn't recognize you! You have changed a lot since we've last met!" Jay exclaimed with glee.

They chattered on like a couple of birds. Valufor stood in the sidelines and and stared at the couple. He envied his brother. He was treated like crap while Jay was treated like crap while the "holy" priest was considered the people's savior.

_"Greetings, mortal."_

Valufor clenched his fists in anger. It was the voice again. It was Kazan.

"Why did you make me do it? You almost killed somebody."

The demon made a sound, much like laughing, and said, _"I didn't do it. __**You**__ did it. __**You**__ wanted me to do it."_

Valufor scoffed and snapped, "I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't. I think..." He carefully reconsidered.

Maybe he did do it.

But if he did, he felt no regret at all. That Grappler deserved his beating.

He wanted him dead. It was all because of Jay...

Valufor shook his head. Why was he thinking these thoughts? These thoughts weren't his. Valufor strolled out shaking his head. Jay stopped from his conversation and looked up at his brother walking away.

"What's the problem? Why does he look so sad?" Rian asked, worried.

Jay didn't know either. He just hoped the controlling process would be slow enough to help him find a cure.

* * *

Valufor wandered around the town, finding something interesting. As he walked around, he felt a presence following him. He abruptly stopped and he felt the energy stop too. He started to run and the presence followed. Valufor began to get angry and whipped around. No one was there. Was he imagining things?

"Hey, I'm over here."

Valufor was so startled that he fell on the ground. A Thief stood there and smirked at his confusion. She threw a piece of parchment at the Slayer. In a blink of an eye, she was gone. Only a faint smell of lavender lingered. Valufor shook out of his confusion and took the piece of parchment.

**I know how to cure your arm. Meet me near Grubeck's shop.**

* * *

_"Where is that Thief...?"_ Valufor thought.

Valufor was waiting in the night's bitter cold for the cure he was promised. He tapped his foot, waiting impatiently. Suddenly, a net fell on Valufor, the net sticking to the ground. The Thief appeared and slowly strolled over to the helpless Slayer, seeming to be mocking him by twirling her blade.

"I think I'll be collecting my bounty now..." the Thief said with a laugh.

_"Collecting? Bounty? What is happening?" _Valufor thought.

The Thief smeared a dark purple liquid onto a Shuriken and twirled it around. As fast as light, the dart sunk into the Slayer's leg and the poison started to gradually spread into the veins. The blood quickly coagulated into a thick layer. Valufor shouted in pain and pulled the dagger out, attempting to hit the Thief, but he realized, he couldn't move. He was paralyzed!

"Don't worry, they want you alive. I'm not going to kill you. Yet."

_"They"? Who is "they"?_

* * *

Jay sat at the dinner table, waiting a little bit longer than usual. Valufor usually was late, but he always arrived. What happened?

Jay sat and started to eat, listening to the silence for once. Suddenly, the faint smell of lavender drifted through the window.

* * *

**Author's Note: Review PLEASE! I'm starting to lose motivation... Thanks everyone!**


	4. The Escape

**Thanks for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Wake up, Priest."

Jay responded with a mumble. His mind was drifting somewhere and he couldn't think. A splash of cold water suddenly shocked him back into reality, the bright light blinding him to the point of becoming almost white. Once his pupils had shrinked smaller, he saw a middle aged man, sitting directly across him, with a smug smile on his face. He wore a tuxedo, much like a detective. They seemed to be in a cell, with a desk and a lamp. The man directed a light at the Priest. Jay struggled to get up, only to find that an energy cuff connected his hands to the steel chair. Jay glared back at the man again, noticing that this man had a demon _hand. Only one sealed lock._

"Don't try to hide the truth from me, you so-called 'holy' Priest. You have been hiding a fugitive for a long time now." the man said.

Jay shot the man a bewildered look. A fugitive? Jay was confused, why would he help an Impostor?

"I know what your thinking. It's not an Impostor. The fugitive is that Slayer you've helped."

_"Valufor? Is this another demon extremist group__?" _Jay thought.

"Take a look at these photos a Gunner brought to us. Look closely at this part."

The detective pulled out some photos from his pocket and laid them out on the table. Pictures of burning houses and people strewn on the ground horrified Jay but that wasn't the most disgusting part. A child was standing over a dead body and licking the blood off of a dead body. The child seemed to have been controlled by the demon Kazan. The second photo showed a photo of the child looking directly at the camera. The photo seemed so intense that the eyes almost burned through the picture.

"This was the last photo the Gunner ever took. He was killed by this demon child. I think you know who the demon child is." the detective said solemnly.

The Priest shook his head. Slowly at first, then more rapidly. It couldn't be Valufor. It just couldn't...

"I know you're in denial. I also couldn't believe that a child could cause such a mess."

"You sound like you don't care. You just sound like you need someone to blame." Jay said.

The detective slammed his hand on the table.

"**Don't tell me that I do not care that my own parents died that night!**" he bellowed.

Jay felt sudden sympathy for this man. But Valufor couldn't control himself, it was the demon! Or was it...

The detective took a deep breath. "Tell me where he is. You know he did wrong."

"I won't speak a word." Jay said.

"I knew you wouldn't. You are loyal. But to the wrong cause."

The detective raised a hand and two burly guards came in with someone in a black bag.

"I think this will convince you to change your mind."

A girl rolled out of the bag onto the floor. The guard held a gun the girl's head.

"Rian! How could you, you son-of-a-...!" Jay yelled.

Jay struggled to get up. He was going to kill this detective. He didn't care anymore about keeping his temper.

"Well now, let's not start with profanities. Tell me where he is and I just might let you go. Don't tell me, I'm fine. But I hope you'll be fine with her brains splattered all over the walls." the detective said with a grin.

Jay finally gave up. He turned wearily to the man and said, "I don't know. I really don't know. All I know was that he was late for dinner."

"Liar! You helped him escape, didn't you?"

"What escape?" Jay asked bleakly.

* * *

_The day before..._

* * *

_The Thief smeared a dark purple liquid onto a Shuriken and twirled it around. As fast as light, the dart sunk into the Slayer's leg and the poison started to gradually spread into the veins. The blood quickly coagulated into a thick layer. Valufor shouted in pain and pulled the dagger out, attempting to hit the Thief, but he realized, he couldn't move. He was paralyzed!_

_"Don't worry, they want you alive. I'm not going to kill you. Yet."_

_Valufor felt his anger boiling again. Gaining energy, he slowly moved his arm and touched the coil entangling him. His energy burned the coil to a melted puddle of steel. The Thief turned around and was smacked by a giant blade. She fell unconscious._

_Valufor looked around and limped away. He struggled to get to Jay's house, but his efforts only resulted in the wound bleeding again and dripping all the way. Leaving a trail of blood, he arrived at the house and was about to knock when he decided against it. He didn't want him to get involved in any of this._

_"Goodbye, Jay. Wish me luck..."_

* * *

_The Thief regained consciousness and rubbed her aching head._

_"Oh shit... he's gone!"_

_The Thief observed her surroundings and found a trail of tiny blood droplets and sprinted her way down the path._

_"I need the money... I'll find you, Slayer..."_

* * *

Valufor limped on, all the way to the West Coast and collapsed on the floor, exhausted.

He propped himself on the wall and held his aching leg. He ripped a piece of cloth armor and wrapped it on his leg.

He took short breaths and moved slowly. The poison that had paralyzed his nerves had now worn off, making his every breath hurt.

He got up, only to fall again. He gave up and slouched against the wall, taking a brief nap.

* * *

A Fighter came back from her training, rubbing her sore knuckles. A group of kids got her attention. She walked over and shooed away the kids. She was surprised at what she saw. She knelt down to the Slayer and poked his face.

Suddenly, his eyes popped open and his hand grabbed the Fighter's throat. They connected eyes a bit and the Slayer loosened his grip. He slouched back again. The Fighter stopped her ragged breaths and swallowed her fear. She gingerly carried the Slayer on her back and trudged back to her small house.

She didn't notice it then, but the red skin on the arm of the Slayer slowly crept up his shoulder.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks ChillyZ for reading and commenting! I'm going to try to keep writing again, hehe...**


End file.
